Old Bakery: Käsekuchen.

by a tale

Because it is not cheese cake.
Because there has been a birthday,
and a wish for a cake that our grandmothers used to bake.

Recollecting memories of last birthdays,
and anticipation for those following.
So we made Käsekuchen,
because it is old-fashioned,
because it is steady,
and reminds you of the changes and constants in life.

Speaking simply it is no cheese cake.

SHORTCRUST PASTRY.

300 g flour
150 g butter
100 g sugar
1 egg

FILLING.

500 g Quark
125 g hot butter
up to 250 ml hot milk
125 g sugar
5 eggs (separated)
zest of 1/2 a lemon
90 g farina (ground wheat)
1/4 tsp baking powder
50 – 100 g raisins
pinch of salt

For the dough: Put the flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and add them to the bowl. Make sure your hands are as cold as they can get and start crumbling the butter into the flour.  The more contact the dough has with the warmth of your hands, the more the butter will melt and your pastry will turn out the less flakier than aimed.

Add the egg and knead until the mixture just forms a dough. Turn pastry onto a floured surface and lightly knead with the heel of your hand until the pastry comes together. Cover the pastry with a plastic wrap and chill.

Roll pastry, using a rolling pin, on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick. Line your baking dishes. You won’t need to brush them with butter, for the pastry is quiet buttery enough. Put the baking tins back into the fridge.

Preheat your oven to 190°C.

For the filling: Drain the quark. Whisk the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form and add 2/3 of the sugar. In another bowl mix the quark with the hot milk, hot butter and 1/3 of the sugar thoroughly. Add the egg yolks one by one whisking systematically between each. Then add the lemon zest, the raisins and a pinch of salt. Sieve the farina and baking powder and fold them in. And finally fold in the stiff egg whites. Be gently here for a light mass.

Pour the dough in the baking tins and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours (for a 26 cm cake tin). If you use tartlet dishes like we did bake for about 30 minutes until lightly browned.

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